William Saliba says Arsenal’s Premier League title has only sharpened his appetite, with the defender already targeting more silverware after ending the club’s 22-year wait.
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William Saliba has warned that Arsenal’s Premier League title is not enough for him, with the defender already thinking about defending it next season and adding the Champions League.
Arsenal will lift the trophy at Selhurst Park today after Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth ended the club’s 22-year wait for the league title. The celebrations have been long earned, but Saliba’s message before the final league match at Crystal Palace was not one of satisfaction. It was about wanting more.
The 25-year-old has been central to the best defence in the league, and his response to Arsenal’s title win sounded like a player who sees this as the start of something rather than the end of a chase.
“Last season we finished second but even when we finished second, we had the good mentality the season after to keep going and it finally paid off,” he said.
“We didn’t give up, and we will come back again next season to try to win as well. It’s my first one, so I’m happy but I’m not full. I want more.”
Saliba said belief hardened in March, after Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 with late goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman.
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“I started to feel we could do it in March,” he said. “After the game against Everton, it was clear to me that we would win the league.
“When we came back from the international break it was a bit hard. But we kept going, we believed in ourselves, even after the loss against City. And now we are champions.”
There is still one more prize available this season, and it is the one Arsenal have never won. Arteta’s side face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, with the club chasing Europe’s biggest trophy for the first time in its 140-year history.
Saliba knows the challenge. PSG knocked Arsenal out in last season’s Champions League semi-finals, and the France centre-back is familiar with many of their players from international duty. He made clear Arsenal will need to reach their highest level again.
“They were scary last year, and they’re still scary this year,” Saliba said. “So, nothing has changed. We know that if we want to beat them, we have to be 100 per cent.
“They have a great attack. We know if we want to win we have to be at our best next Saturday because they are so, so good. We have the best defence this season. And when you are the best, you want to play the best so we are so happy to have attackers like this to play against us next Saturday and I hope we will win that battle.